blunt



Jan. 29 1924. 1,482,108

J. G.'BLUNT LOCOMOTIVE GRATE SHAKER Fi led Feb. 21, 1921 6 Sheets-Sheetl WITNESSES Jan. 29 1924. 1,482,108

J.G.BLUNT LOGOMOTI VE GRATE SHAKER Filed Feb. 21, 1921 6 Sheets-Sheet 2WITNESSES:

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Jan. 29., 1924. 1,482,108

J. G. BLUNT LOCOMOTI VE GRATE SHAKER Filed Feb. 21. 192 6 Sheets-Sheet4.

Jan. '29 1924.

FIGJO:

WlTN ESSES:

J. G. BLUNT LOCOMOT I VB GRATE SHAKER Filed Feb. 21 1921 6 Sheets-Sheet5 Jan. 29; 1924. 1,482,108

J. G. BLUNT LOCOMOT I VE GRATE SHAKER v Filed Feb. 21. 1921 Sheet 6FIGJS [anally/a fol/Ill1/1111,11!alllilnrlllrllllzllzlln FIG. 13

WITNESSES v Patented Jan. 29, 1924.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES G. BLUNT, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK.

LOCOMOTIVE GTE-ATE SHAKER.

Application filed February 21, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, JAMEs G. BLUNT, of Schenectady, in the county ofSchenectady and State of New York, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in L0- comotive Grate Shakers, of which improvementthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for shaking or rocking the grates oflocomotive fireboxes, as may, from time to time, be'found necessary ordesirable in order to clear them of clinkers and cinders, and facilitatethe access of air to support combustion of the fuel. The object of myinvention is to provide a mechanism of the above stated type which willbe simple and inexpensive as to construction and maintenance, andoperable, either by fluid pressure or manually, in such manner as toimpart any desired degree of angular movement to the grate bars, fromtheir normal level or fire supporting position, up to the maximum degreeof angular position which they are capable of assuming for the purposeof dumping all or any desired portion of the fuel which rests upon them.

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth:

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a view, in elevation, of themajor portion of the back head of a locomotive boiler, illustrating anapplication of my invention, with a single operating cylinder, locatedin the vertical longitudinal central plane of the boiler; Fig. 2, asimilar view, illustrating an application, in which two mechanisms, onlyone of which is shown, are disposed on opposite sides of said centralplane; Fig. 3, a partial section through the firebox, on said centralplane, with the grate shaker mechanism in side elevation; Fig. 4, alongitudinal central section through the operating valve and its chest,with the operating lever and connections in elevation; Fig. 5, an endview, in elevation, of the operating valve chest, with the operatinglever and connection elevation, at a right angle to Fig. 4:; Fig. 6, arear view, in elevation, of the o crating valve chest, with the capdetached; ig. 7, a similar view of the operating valve; Fig. 8, acentral section through the same; Fig. 9, a longitudinal central sectionthrough the op erating cylinder; Fig. 10, a partial plan view thereof,with the superposed disconnecting mechanisms shown partly inplan andpartly Serial No. 446,766.

in section; Fig. 11, aview, the left hand half of which is an elevationof one of the disconnecting mechanisms, and the right hand half, alongitudinal central section through the other disconnecting mechanismand a transverse section through the operating cylinder; Fig. 12, alongitudinal section through the operating lever, and transverse sectionthrough its fulcrum pin, Figs. 13, 14: and 15 are longitudinal sectionsthrough the operating cylinder, showing the piston, actuating lever,valve, and connections between the latter and the piston, indifferentpositions.

My invention is specially designed for ap plication in connection withthe rocking grates of locomotive boilers, and is, therefore, hereinexemplified as-applied in a locomotive boiler having such a grate. Itwill, however, be obvious that it is not limited, in application, toboilers of this type, and that it may be employed, without variation ofstructural or operative principle, on stationary and marine boilerswhich are provided with rocking grates.

In the practice of my invention, referring desc'riptively to thespecific embodiment thereof which is herein exemplified, a horizontaloperating cylinder, 1,one or more of which may be used, as conditionsmay require, is suitably supported upon a locomotive engine, preferablya short distance in rear of the firebox, 2, or in any other convenientlocation where it will not interfere with the movements of the fireman.The opposite ends of the operating cylinder are closed by heads, 1 andfluid pressure supply and discharge pipes, 1 1*, lead from opposite endsof the cylinder to the casing of an operating valve hereinafterdescribed.

The firebox, 2, is provided with a grate, 3, which may be of anysuitable and preferred form of the rocking type, and as it does not, inand of itself, form part of my present invention, it will not be hereinat length set forth. In connection with grates of comparatively largeareas, which are now generally in use, a plurality of operatingcylinders, located in planes on opposite sides of the verticallongitudinal central plane of the boiler, is preferably applied, thepistons of said cylinders independently actuating difierent sets ofgrate bars. The cylinders and connected actuating mechanisms are,however, substantially similar, in construetion and operation, as willbe understood from the following description of a single mechanism.

Each operating cylinder is fitted with a piston, 4, comprising twosuitably packed end. heads, connected by interposed side members, inwhich there is fitted a transverse rocker, 5. An operating lever, 6, ismounted on a fulcrum shaft, 7, extending above, and transversely to, theoperating cylinder, 1, in the middle plane of its length, said leverpassing through a longitudinal slot in the cylinder and engaging a slotcut to'receive it in the rocker, 5. Thelever, 6, is extended above itsfulcrum shaft and is bifurcated at and adjoining its upper end, as shownin Figs. 11 and 12, in order-to-be coupled, by a pin, 6 to the lower endof'a valve :losing link, 8, the upperend ofiwhich is, in turn, coupled,by a pin, 8*, to a manually operable valve actuating lever, 9.

A valve casing, 10, which is supported upon a standard, 17, located on,or adjacent to, the operating cylinder, 1, 'is connected to areservoirof fluid under pressure, which may be either steam or air, byasupply pipe, 10, controlled by a stop valve, 10", and is closed by aremovable cap, 10. The supply and discharge pipes,1 1 of the operatingcylinder, are connected to the valve casing, 10, and an exhaust pipe 10leads therefrom to a suitable location of dischai ge. The supply andexhaust of motive fiuid, to and from each of the ends of the operatingcylinder; is controlled by an operating valve, 11, vibrata'ble on a facein the valve casing over parts therein communicating with the pipes, 1 1and 10 Vibratory movement is imparted to the operating valve by theactuating lever, 9, which is journalled on the periphery of the valvecasing, through the intermediation of a stem, 12, journalledcentrally inthe valve casing, and having, on its inner end, a transverse tongue, 12which engages a corresponding slot in the operating valve. A crank arm,12 fixed on the outer end of the stem, 12, carries on its free end,asocket, 12, in which a cylindrical block, 1%, is fitted to turn freely.The closing link, 8, passes freely through the socket and block, and-inand by the vibratory movements of the valve actuating lever, 9, to'which is coupled, imparts corresponding movements to thestem, 12, andoperating valve, 11. Saidvalve is held upto its seat by'a spring, 11*,fitting in a central recess in the cap, 10 of thecasing, and hearing ona cover plate, 11, fitting against the top ofthe valve, and performingthe additional function-of preventing the abnormal passage of' motivefluid from one port' to another I of the Y easing, .or outwardlytherefrom around the 8138115 121 The trav,

erseof the up eratin-e' lever, 9,, is limited;- 0-- the. properdegree,stop on} its,

hub, which are adapted to abut against seats on the sides of a tubularpost, 9", on the valve chest. The lever, 9, is locked in position whennot in use, by a clip, 9, pivoted to the post, 9*, by a bolt, 9 and isheld in any adjusted position, by a stop, 9, fitting in the post, andsubject to the outward pressure of a spring 9".

The vibratory movements imparted to the operating lever, 6, by thepiston of the op erating cylinder, are transmitted to the grate bars,through a pair of grate levers, 13, which are formed integral with orrigidly secured to, sleeves, 13, which are journalled in -bearings, 13*,on the top. of the ope 'ating cylinder, '1', and on opposite sides ofthelever,- 6,-towards and from which they are laterally movable, so as tobe manually engaged with, or discharged from, said lever, in the mannerof a clutch coupling, as from time to time desired. The grate levers arecoupled bylinks, 1 1, to bars, 14 which are, in turn, coupled to thegrate bars, 3. Pairs of laterally extending clutch jaws, 6 are formed onopposite sides of the operating lever, 6, in position to be engaged bytongues, 18, on-the inner ends of the sleeves, 13, whenthe latter aremoved inwardly for that purpose, and when such engagement of oneorbothof the sleeves-with the lever, 6, is made, the vibratory movementsof said lever will be imparted to the corresponding grate lever orlevers, 13. The engagement of the sleeves with the lever is effected byeccentrics, 15, journalled in caps 15", screwed upon the ends of thefulcrum shaft, 7, and rotatedby handles, 15% Upon the release of thepressure of the eccentrics, the sleeves, 13*, are moved outwardly, anddisengaged from the lever, 6, by springs, 16, fitted in recesses in thesleeves, surrounding the shaft, 7.

The upper ends of the grate levers, 13, are adapted to be engaged insockets on the ends of attachable and detachable hand-levers, when it isdesired to shake the connected sections of the grate by hand.

In the operation of a grate shaking mechanism of the constructionsubstantially as above described, the actuating lever, 9, is manuallymoved, through a greater or less range of traverse, in accordance withthe degree of rocking movement which it is desired to impart'tothe-grates, and, in each movement of the lever, by reason of itsconnection with the operating valve, 11, through the valve closing link,8, crank arm, 12", and valve stem, 12, it movessaid valve into positionto admitmotivefluid to the piston, 4, of theoperating cylinder, therebyeffecting a strokqofsaid. piston, theextent of which willbe'proportionatetothe degreeof move ment imparted to-thelever. Thismovementof thepiston will, through the operating lever,fifand-gratelevers, 13, rock the grates in one direction. Upon the cessation of themovement of the actuating lever, the movement of the piston will,through the operating lever, 6, valve closing link, 8, crank arm, 12',and valve stem, 12, automatically close the operating valve and cut offthe supply of motive fluid to the cylinder, 1. The sno ceeding movementof the actuating lever, in the opposite direction, will correspondinglymove the operating valve into position to exhaust from the cylinder themotive fluid which has effected the preceding stroke, and admit fluidfor a stroke in the opposite di rection, which stroke will be determinedby the extent of movement of said lever, and the valve be closed at itstermination, as above described.

In Fig. 13, the parts are in central position, both pipes 1 1 beingconnected through the valve 11 with the exhaust pipe, so that there isno pressure on either side of the piston. In Fig. 14, the actuatinglever 9 has been moved over to the right for the purpose of causing thepiston to be moved in the same direction, the valve 11 having beenturned so as to admit. pressure to the left hand end of the cylinder,while the right hand end of the cylinder is still connected to theexhaust pipe through pipe 1 at that end and a groove in the face of thevalve. Under the influence of the pressure in the left hand end of thecylinder, as soon as it has built up suiiiciently, the piston moves tothe position shown in Fig. 15, rocking the operating lever 6, the upperarm of which is swung to the left and, through the valve closing link 8,turning the valve 11 back into its original position in which itconnects both pipes 1*, 1*, to the exhaust, leaving the pistonstationary. The piston is moved in the other direction by throwing thelever 9 over to the left.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a grate-shaking apparatus, the combination of a fluid-pressureoperating-cylinder, a piston fitted to reciprocate therein, a fulcrumshaft journalled transversely on said cylinder, an operating-leverpivoted on said shaft and engaging said piston, a grateopcrating leveralso pivoted on said shaft, and means to clutch said levers together attheir pivots.

In a grateshaking apparatus, the combination of a fluid-pressureoperating-cylinder, a piston fitted to reciprocate therein, a fulcrumshaft journallcd transversely on said cylinder, an operatingdeverpivoted on said shaft and engaging said piston, grateoperating leverspivoted on said shaft on each side of said cylinder, and means to movesaid grate-operating levers axially of said shaft to clutch them to saidoperatinglever at their pivotal. points.

3. In a grate-shaking apparatus, the combination of a fluid-pressureoperating-cylinder, a piston fitted to reciprocate therein. a rockerjournalled transversely in said piston, a fulcrum shaft mounted"transversely on said cylinder, an operating-lever oscillatable aboutthe axis of said shaft and passing through said rocker, grate-loversalso oscillatable about said axis, means to connect said grate-levers atwill to said operatinglever at their axes of oscillation, and meansconnecting said grate-levers to sections of the grate to be rocked.

4. In a grate-shaking apparatus, the combination of a fluid-pressureoperating-cylinder, a piston fitted to reciprocate therein, a rockerjournalled transversely in said piston, a fulcrum shaft mounted on saidcylinder above and parallel to said rocker, an op crating-lever on saidfulcrum shaft and engaging said rocker, grate-levers mounted on saidfulcrum shaft on. each side of said cylinder, means axially movable onsaid fulcrum shaft to connect and disconnect said grate-levers to andfrom said operatinglever, and a valve to control the supply and exhaustof fluid to and from said cylinder.

5. In a grate-shaking apparatus, the combination of an operatingcylinder slotted in its center, a piston in said cylinder, a rockerjournalled transversely in said piston, a fulcrum shaft on said cylinderabove and parallel to said rocker, an operating-lever on said shaft andpassing: through said slot and said rocker, grate-levers on said shaft,means to move said grate-levers along said shaft to engage them with ordisengage them from said operating-lever, a manually openable valve forcontrolling the supply to and exhaust from the ends of said cylinder,and a link-and-crank connection between the upper arm of saidoperating-lever and said valve, whereby the piston, in moving towardseither end of the cylinder, automatically closes said valve.

JAMES G. BLUNT.

Witnesses:

ROBERT F. HALL, J. HowARn WAGAR.

